Guess We Dodged Some Passing Fad
by Sara Jaye
Summary: A collection of side-stories to I Thought I'd Write An Epiphany. Tellius AU, varied characters and pairings.
1. Distant Sisters

Micaiah had been seven when her baby sister was born, and that was the last she'd ever seen of their father. Years later, she would remember her parents fighting more and more as her mother's belly grew larger and larger. When the time came she sat in the hallway swinging her legs and listening to her mother's screams, and finally her father told her to come meet baby Sanaki.

Sanaki looked nothing like her father, and it would take Micaiah years to realize why. Dad walked out that night, and Sanaki's real father moved in. At first he seemed like a great guy, enough to make her forget that her real father was gone, but as Micaiah grew up her stepdad failed to. Mom finally realized she'd outgrown her lover and sent him packing as well. He took Sanaki with him, moved halfway across the country, and Micaiah never had another father after him. She and her mother grew close, almost like sisters.

Sanaki still visited, and Micaiah sometimes visited her. They got along well, but each time they felt less and less like sisters and Micaiah started to feel guilty. She'd held baby Sanaki in her arms that night at the hospital, but now Sanaki was growing up and Micaiah was missing out on doing all the things a big sister should for her little sister.

One night, Mom went out on a date while Sanaki was visiting. Micaiah purposely didn't make any plans for that evening, found a good movie on TV and invited her sister to sit and watch with her.

"This isn't bad," Sanaki said during the fourth commercial break. "Not as much fun as going on a candy run after dark, but your taste in movies isn't as bad as I thought it was."

"I was your age when I first saw this movie," Micaiah said, trying not to take offense. _How can I expect her to have a high opinion of me when she barely knows me?_ "I thought...maybe now that you're thirteen, you'd appreciate it."

"In other words, I'm the right age to hear a bunch of twelve-year-olds talking about their boobs." Sanaki snorted. "It's okay, though. I don't usually like super girly things, but..."

"Oh." Micaiah looked down. "I-I guess I assumed..." She sighed, running a hand through her bangs. "I'm sorry, Sanaki. This is all just a set-up so we could bond more. We hardly see each other since you moved out with Dad, you're growing up, I'm already in college and..."

"You're worried you're failing me as a big sister," Sanaki finished. "And no one was surprised."

"Sanaki, I'm serious!" Micaiah was only barely aware the movie was back on. "I'm seven years older than you, I'm an adult and you're still in grade school and we haven't lived together since I was thirteen. We only see each other once a month at best, we never talk about anything but school..." She sighed. "Someday we'll run into each other on the street and realize that's all we are. Strangers." Tears stung her eyes now even though a funnier part of the movie was playing, Micaiah didn't even care about the movie anymore. Sanaki listened, but didn't even turn to look at her until the next commercial break came on.

"You're just afraid I'm going to forget you," she said. "Is that it? You think since we're not living together I'm going to forget I ever had a big sister." Micaiah's face burned, hearing her put it that way made it sound so _dumb._

"Pretty much," she muttered. And then Sanaki hugged her, and Micaiah forgot to feel stupid or upset.

"How could anyone forget a sister like _you_?" she said. "Someone who cried over the homeless kids on the commercials and decided she was going to stop world hunger when she was _twelve,_ or got in a big fight with Mom and Dad over keeping a baby bird you found on the sidewalk. I even remember what you _named_ her!"

"You...remember Yune?" Micaiah smiled. "You were only four when I brought her home."

"Only _you_ would name a bird after a Goddess," Sanaki said wryly.

"That's true." Micaiah laughed. "They let me keep her until she was well enough to go back into the wild, and I didn't want to let her go but even after I did she still hung around our yard for the next few years. I think she's still around, too...either her or some of her offspring."

"I even told my science class about Yune," Sanaki said. "I told them about the birdhouse you made her and how you fed her from the eyedropper and everything." Micaiah once again felt silly for letting herself get so emotional. _See, you had nothing to worry about._

"I didn't think you still thought about me that much."

"Why, just because you're not here to buy me a bra and tampons and teach me how to wear makeup?" Sanaki laughed. "That's not what being a big sister's all about."

"It's more than that. I mean, even if someone else helped you with all that...we never _talk_. About life and love and everything besides school and food." Micaiah held her sister a little closer. "Do you have any boyfriends? Or girlfriends? Are you well-liked at school? What are your hobbies, your hopes, your dreams for the future?"

"Micaiah, I'm _thirteen._ The future's still a long way off," Sanaki said. "But I guess you've got a point with the other stuff. Sometimes...well, to tell you the truth there _is_ someone I kind of..."

"Naesala?" Micaiah shook her head. "You always did enjoy pestering him." Sanaki blushed.

"I'll tell you who it is when I'm good and ready!"

"Come on, I told you when I started going out with Pelleas!"

"Only after I caught you making out," Sanaki pointed out, and this time it was Micaiah who blushed.

"Point taken."

"Look...maybe it is Naesala, maybe it's not," Sanaki said. "Anyway, it's not like I'm completely in love yet, not like you and Pelleas. Naesala's _married_!"

"Well, as long as you're not setting yourself up for heartbreak."

They talked long into the evening, only stopping occasionally to comment on the movie. And as they talked, Micaiah realized they'd never really grown as far apart as she'd feared after all.

_We'll never be as close as Ike and Mist, or Nephenee and her sisters. But maybe we weren't meant to be. And that's okay._


	2. Shouldn't We Be Studying?

"Hey! I'm back, and I got us a pizza." Ike set a pile of boxes on the table. "Well, three. One meat-lovers, one plain, and one with veggies. Soren, they put extra red peppers on half, just like you like it!"

"Awright, food!" Boyd's head shot up from where it rested on Mia's lap and he made a mad dash for the table. "I was passing out over there, seriously. It's been way too long since we last ate!"

"Did you remember to ask for red onions?" Mia asked as Ike spread the boxes out.

"Yes, because I know how much you hate white ones. And Ranulf, I picked up a can of anchovies for you since everyone else would kill me if I actually got them on the pie," Ike said. Ranulf's eyes lit up and he pounced, grabbing the can from the counter.

"Look," Soren said, "this is all well and good, but did you forget that we're here to study? This isn't Guy's Night. We have to finish these critical thinking questions for Professor Sephiran by tomorrow, and we've still got ten more of them to go."

"Oh, Soren, ten's not _that_ much!" Mia said, taking a huge bite of pizza. Boyd cracked open a beer and took a swig.

"Yeah, it's not like math or anything."

"But there's a lot of thinking involved," Ranulf said, dumping some anchovies onto a slice of plain pizza. "And you know Sephiran likes long, detailed answers." Ike shrugged, passing Soren a can of iced tea.

"So we'll bullshit our way through 'em. He won't-"

"He will." Soren accepted the drink with a smile. "Honestly, Ike, you've been taking this class long enough now. Nothing gets by Professor Sephiran."

"Unfortunately." Boyd snorted. Mia rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, it's not _that_ hard! Ten questions, just throw all our thoughts at Soren to write down-"

"No." Soren swallowed a bite of pizza. "I'm not doing your homework for you."

"You're just _writing_ it, you have the best handwriting of all of us anyway," Mia said. "And the thoughts are all ours!"

"If it were a group project, yes. But these are individual assignments," Soren pointed out. "So no. Not even for you, Ike." Boyd, Mia and Ranulf exchanged a glance; if Soren said no to Ike, he meant it. Ike grinned sheepishly.

"I wasn't going to ask you to write for me! Honest!"

"I know _you_ wouldn't take advantage of me, Ike," Soren said gently. Boyd snorted, taking another gulp of beer.

"_Oh, Iiiiike_," he mimicked. "Ike is so perfect and wonderful and my only true love and-_ow!_ I was kidding, jeez!" He rubbed his shoulder where Soren had just jabbed him with a pen.

"And this is why I took longer to warm up to you than the others," Soren said. "Honestly, Mia, how do you put up with him?"

"What can I say?" Mia smiled, kissing Boyd on the cheek. "I've got a weakness for idiots." Ike just shook his head as he started on his third piece of pizza.

"And Boyd likes a girl who can put him in his place. He had the biggest crush on Titania for years," he said. Boyd nearly choked on his next sip of beer.

"I did _not!_" He took a piece of pepperoni and chucked it at Ike's head. Ike caught it, ate it and smirked.

"Thanks!" Boyd grumbled something about Ike being a butt, then resumed chowing down. Ranulf licked anchovy grease from his fingers with a grin.

"You beorc. Never a dull moment with you!"

"Oh, come off it, Ranulf," Ike said. "You and your clan are pretty hilarious, too. Remember the time Tormod invited Sothe over for dinner and everyone started singing the Cowboy Buttsex song?"

"Hey, I thought it was funny! Lyre's the one who got all embarrassed about it."

"Ahem." Soren took a sip of iced tea, then pointed to the clock. "I suggest we get back to our homework before it's ten o'clock and you all rush off to watch South Park."

"Yeah, Soren's right," Ike said. "The faster we do it, the faster we get it out of the way. Now, let's see..."

Somehow, they managed to get everything finished by ten-thirty. They missed South Park, but Ike more than made up for it by showing him his latest collection of stupid internet videos. That night, Mia dreamed about a new show called Mario: The Last Pipebender and was very disappointed when she woke up and it wasn't real.


	3. Too Early

It was seven-fifteen, and by now the alarm clock would have gone off and woken everyone in the house. But today was Saturday, and alarm clocks were virtually useless on Saturdays. Well, maybe if you had a job or something, but Lethe was not among those people.

Ah, but what could be better than a Saturday? Nothing to do but sleep in and snuggle with her girlfriend. Jill still slept soundly in her arms, snoring contentedly, her red hair splayed across the pillow. Lethe didn't exactly _care_ how Jill wore her hair, but sometimes she had to admit it was nice seeing it out of its usual ponytail.

_I wonder how long we can get away with sleeping in today. It's raining, there's nothing going on, and she's so-_

"_Ky-zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!_" Lyre's shriek exploded from the other end of the hall and echoed throughout the rest of the house. _Damn it!_ Nothing ruined the mood like one's sister screaming. Who needed an alarm clock when they had Lyre? She heard the beginnings of an argument, Ranulf's name mentioned several times and then a door slamming before it was quiet again. _Good, now I can-_

"Leeeethe!" The door burst open. "Lethe, make Kyza stop picking on me, he woke me up and said it was my turn to make breakfast when he knows I-"

"For crying out loud, Lyre." Lethe groaned, cracking an eye open and glaring at her sister. "You two are always fighting, either learn to get along or move out." Normally she would have taken her sister's side, but she was _not_ in the mood for any of this. "Now get out, you'll wake Jill."

"Hmph." Lyre pouted. "Everyone's picking on me this morning." And she stomped out, not even closing the door behind her as she did. Lethe sighed, snuggling closer to Jill and burying her face in her hair. _Now I can go back to sleep_. The clock read seven twenty-eight now and it was still way too early to be awake on a Saturday. She closed her eyes, tried to tune everything out but Jill, and waited for sleep to overtake her again.

She almost succeeded, and then she heard a crash from the kitchen followed by a boisterous laugh and someone scrambling to pick up what had been dropped. _Oh, right, Tormod had Sothe stay over last night._ Moments later she heard the strains of _Beavis and Butt-Head_ followed by more laughter. _Least they're not yelling,_ Lethe thought, and once again tried to go back to sleep.

"Hey, little beorcs! Mind if I join you?" Jill, who'd managed to sleep through Lyre fighting with Kyza and two teenage beorcs laughing, finally groaned and opened her eyes.

"Uhhh...what time is it? Was that_ Skrimir_ I just heard?"

"Afraid so." Lethe sighed, hugging her closer and running a hand through her hair. "Sorry. I know you like sleeping in on weekends, but..."

"It's okay, I guess. It's not like this is the first time I've stayed here, I'm used to your family by now." Jill smiled.

"Yeah, well." Lethe felt her face turn hot. "I-it's not like I normally care what beorc think of us! I never do! It's just, well...you're different." _You're special, I like you, I want you to be happy even if you still drive me crazy sometimes._

"I'm flattered." Jill yawned, pressing her cheek against Lethe's shoulder and closing her eyes again. "Mm...you think it's possible to sleep through Skrimir and the boys watching dirty cartoons?"

"We can try, I gue-"

"_Bwahahahahaha!_ That'll teach 'em to be dumb."

"Damn it, Skrimir!" Lethe sighed. "Maybe we better get up and find something to do."

"Might as well." Jill rubbed her eyes. "I'm getting a little hungry anyway."

They ended up sitting in Tormod's room with the others, eating bowls of sugary cereal and watching a couple of cartoon idiots try to "score".

_So much for lazy Saturday mornings. Next weekend, I'm staying at Jill's place._


	4. Catharsis

"I can't believe him!" Ike exploded as soon as the door slammed shut behind them. "He came all this way just to insult you two and treat you like dirt?! What's his _problem?!_"

"Ike, please." Soren sighed, rubbing his temples. To him, the visit had only confirmed what he'd suspected all along. Of course Ashnard Nevassa didn't give a damn about him or Pelleas, what father who _did_ care would abandon his own sons and never bother to contact them at any time afterwards? Pelleas had been crushed, of course, he'd always been the more sensitive and emotional of the two. Thank the goddess Micaiah and Mother were there, they were better at this comfort stuff than Soren fancied himself. "It's over. He's gone and he's not likely to come back ever again."

"But he has no right to insult you like that in your own home!" Ike snapped. "He's lucky I didn't beat the crap out of him, or he'd-"

"Have called the police and had you booked on assault charges," Soren said. "Honestly, Ike, you're acting like some alpha male stereotype in the romance novels my mother reads! You never got this angry when the other children at school bullied me for being short and Branded."

"That's because other kids are dumb," Ike said. "This is your _father._ It just...pisses me off, that he thinks he can come in here and act like he owns you even though he never raised you and-"

"_Ike._"

"I just-why'd he even _have_ kids or sleep with women if he didn't want to-"

Realizing words weren't going to get him anywhere, Soren toppled Ike backwards onto the floor and kissed him. Ike seemed to forget his anger immediately and kissed him back, hard and wanting and deep; Soren could still taste pepper from the leftover curry they'd had for breakfast. (In the back of his mind he made a note to go shopping as soon as possible.)

"Soren," Ike gasped. "You-"

"There's Vaseline in the drawer," Soren said as he pulled their clothes off just enough to expose what needed to be exposed. He kissed Ike again, sucking at his neck, hands running roughshod through his messy hair. Somehow Ike managed to grab the Vaseline and prepare them both, kneeling, Soren straddling his thighs. Their eyes met, Ike's gaze piercing yet gentle.

"_Now_."

That was all the invitation Ike needed; he thrust upwards and Soren gripped his shoulders, rocking in time with Ike's hard, driving thrusts. Ike's hands were everywhere, caressing and stroking all over before one finally settled on Soren's own cock, thick muscular arm cradling Soren in place. Again their lips met, Ike kissing him as if never to stop and all too soon it was over, Soren's body spasming with release before he sagged against Ike, exhausted and happy.

"Thanks," Ike sighed, pulling him closer. "I needed that." Soren smiled a little, toying with the ripped sleeve of Ike's shirt.

"Now," he said, "I trust we won't hear anything more of you beating up my father." Ike nodded.

"Sorry I flew off the handle like that. I dunno what came over me," he said. "It's just...eh, I dunno how to say it without it being sappy. I just don't like people treating you like crap." _Because you're important to me. Because I love you. Because I think you're wonderful and don't understand how your own father is too blind to see it._ Ike didn't need to say it, but Soren knew that's what he was getting at.

"I appreciate it," he said. "But in the future, am I going to have to do this every time my father makes an appearance or even comes up in conversation?"

"Well..." Ike grinned. "If this is my punishment for losing my temper, I'll have to do it more often." Soren rolled his eyes, grabbing a nearby pillow and bopping Ike on the head with it.

"I mean it."

"Okay, okay." Ike kissed him again, quickly. "I promise."

"Good." Soren smiled. "We should get cleaned up. We're supposed to meet Elincia and the others to work on that group presentation in an hour." Ike groaned.

"Can't they get along without us for once?"

_"Ike."_

"Okay, okay." Ike reluctantly loosened his grip. "You should probably use the shower first. If we both go we could end up in there for the rest of the day." Soren slowly pulled himself off of Ike's cock and stood up, making a face at the telltale stain on his black shirt. This was the downside of having sex with one's clothes on, he thought. But as Ike stood up and hugged him again, his disdain faded.

"Thank you, Ike," he whispered. _For caring enough to get so angry on my behalf._ Ike let him go, and Soren headed into the bathroom, stripping and stepping under the warm water.

He would never care a whit about what Ashnard thought. Ike's opinion was the only one that mattered, and the only one that would.


	5. Treehouse Sympathy

He opened the door to find her standing there, crying. Without a word, he grabbed a blanket from the couch and led her out to the treehouse.

"They found more of the missing men today, and none of them were him," she managed once her cries and hiccups had mostly stopped. "Why haven't they found him yet?"

Her dad was a member of the Black Ops. Last month he'd gone on a dangerous mission and was reported missing within the week. Every day, Mist and her mother and her older brother waited and hoped and prayed and the officers said they were doing everything they could to find him, but three weeks later there was still no sign of the man.

It made Rolf sad, too; Greil worked as a carpenter on the side and had given Rolf's older brothers jobs to support the family after their mother left and their father had died. Greil had been almost a second father to him. He didn't want to think of Greil being gone forever, but deep down he knew it was a possibility.

"I'm scared, Rolf," she continued. "What if he's gone forever? What if he's hurt? What if they captured him and he's being tortured right now?!" She threw herself into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. "I just want him _back!_" Rolf slipped his arms around her and rubbed her back; he hated that any of those things were possible, hated it. Mist didn't deserve to lose her father and go through the same pain he and his brothers had.

"He'll be okay. He's strong," Rolf said. "But in the meantime, we're all here for you. We'll light candles and pray and wait by the phone and check online and everything." He wrapped the blanket around the two of them. "I promise."

She pulled away a little and looked up at him, sniffling.

"Thank you, Rolf." She pressed her lips lightly against his; he could taste the salt of her tears but he didn't mind.

"Let's sleep in the treehouse tonight, just like when we were kids. Um, unless that might get you in trouble...or me in trouble with Ike!" That got a small giggle out of her.

"I think it'll be okay. We're just sleeping."

They grabbed two throw pillows from a corner, laid down under the blanket and snuggled close to each other. Mist fell asleep quickly, but before Rolf joined her he whispered an extra prayer to the Goddess that Greil would be home soon, alive and well.


	6. Hidden On Your Sleeve

Growing up Branded, Soren had learned a long time ago that bullies weren't worth anyone's tears or pain. Their remarks cut him deeply, so he learned to cut back. They pushed him, he mocked their lack of creativity that so obviously drove them to violence. When Ike became his best friend, the bullies backed off due to their fear of him (or his father, a former Black Ops agent). By the time he entered high school, only the truly bored or stupid would bother giving him a hard time and quickly be brushed off.

This, of course, had the unfortunate side effect of the bullies turning their aggression onto others. And lately, that "other" was Pelleas.

Pelleas's story was one of shyness, insecurity and the smothering influence of his mother; back then Almedha was overprotective to the point of instability, it was when she decided to bring Soren into the family that she finally sought therapy for all of them. Sadly, it hadn't done much for Pelleas. Too many years of smothering and shyness had rendered him a rather pathetic creature. The bullies wanted him to cry, he cried. They told him to jump and he asked how high. They spread rumors, he foolishly confronted them and told them to stop. He told someone, they found out and punished him for "squealing".

It was completely pathetic and Soren often wished he'd never found out he had a brother. Then he could just roll his eyes at the whole affair and turn his attention back to the only person he deemed worthy of it.

But every time, he would come to the little idiot's rescue. All it took was pointing out how empty their lives must be if their only thrills came from picking on a boy three years younger than them. The bullies would stomp off in embarrassment, and Pelleas would run weeping into Soren's arms thanking him over and over.

"Again, I remind you that I hardly care," Soren said one afternoon. Today's episode had been particularly nasty; not only the usual namecalling but his brother now sported a black eye and the front of his shirt was torn to shreds. "I shouldn't have to be rescuing you every time someone so much as looks at you wrong. If you could simply learn to control your foolish emotions this wouldn't keep happening to you."

Pelleas stopped, turned around and for some reason smiled.

"Everyone says you're a cold brick of sarcasm, and you act like you don't care about anyone except for Ike. But you know something? Sometimes a person's heart is still on their sleeve even if they hide it under their jacket. Even if you never call me brother or tell me you love me, I know you do."

He resumed walking, and Soren shook his head.

_Such nonsense. Nothing's more irritating than people who act like they know you better than you know yourself..._

Still, he thought, it was nice to see Pelleas smiling after what had happened.


	7. Pizza and Sympathy

From the moment Soren woke up with a crick in his neck, he knew it was going to be a bad day. The toast was burned (not that he cared, breakfast was only a formality), he couldn't find his history book (it was on top of the _refrigerator_ of all places), he ended up making himself _and_ Ike late (not that Ike minded). Then of course, it was two days before the big test and everyone who either ignored or hated him was suddenly whining for his help (if it wasn't bribery it was passive-aggressive guilt tripping) and on top of it all, he'd forgotten his lunch (not that he cared; again, food was just a formality).

By the time school was out, he just wanted to go home and lock himself in the study with a book. But of course, Mist had her friends over and they were watching movies. Loudly. When he told them to knock it off Rolf started to cry and the girls gave him such death glares. That got him a scolding from Greil, unwanted sympathy from Elena, and in the end he stormed out of the house. Even the muggy late afternoon air was a welcome change from _people._

He didn't know how far or how long he'd walked, avoiding glances, chewing back anger and rejection and disgust. Soon it started to get dark and he knew Elena and the others would be missing him. _Let them_. He didn't want family or company or anything like it right now.

"Hey! Soren!"

Normally Ike's voice would have lifted his spirits, but by now he was so angry at the world he didn't even want to see his best friend. What if Ike felt sorry for him? What if he ended up spilling his feelings everywhere?

"Soren!" Ike, clad in a football jersey and faded jeans, sprinted down the sidewalk; he was a fast runner so Soren obviously wouldn't be able to escape him. He sighed and let it happen.

"How was practice?"

"It was okay," Ike said. "What're you doing out here this late?"

"Just going for a walk," Soren said tightly. "Tell your parents I'll be back later."

"Soren, it's almost six-thirty. You know we're not allowed to stay out so late without calling first." Ike put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" _Ugh_. When Elena had asked him, he'd simply walked away, but this was _Ike_. The person who always managed to cut through his defenses. His shoulders slumped and he buried his face in his hand.

"No. In fact, I'm the opposite of okay. I'd rather wait here until everyone at home is asleep, and then _I_ can go to sleep and forget today ever happened," he said. He expected some clumsy attempt at reassurance, some useless words Ike's mother had taught him to say when someone was feeling bad. But the words never came, instead Ike _hugged him_ and Soren felt his heart leap a bit in his chest.

"Come on," Ike said after a long silence. "I'll buy you a pizza."

"Yes, Ike, I would _love_ to go to a crowded restaurant full of cheerleaders and jocks at their busiest time of the day," Soren muttered. "You get an A for your efforts, but-"

"Not _there_." Ike smiled. "I meant the other place. They're never as busy on Thursdays and we can get a booth all the way in the back. Come on, let me treat you. You barely ate any breakfast and you forgot your lunch." As if to spite him, Soren's stomach growled a little.

"Very well."

"Just let me call my folks." Ike took out his phone, hit speed dial and after a few words hung up. "They said it's fine as long as we're back by nine."

"All right." Hungry and exhausted, Soren allowed Ike to lead him down the road.

True to Ike's word, the restaurant _was_ nearly empty save for a few college students too absorbed in their books to notice the pair. Ike found them a table far in the back, away from the noises of the outside and customers walking in and the sound of phones ringing. When the waitress came, she was more interested in taking their order than making small talk.

"We'll take an extra-large meat lovers," Ike said. Soren rolled his eyes.

"_Really_, Ike?"

"I'm kidding." He smiled and turned his attention to the waitress. "Medium, red peppers?" Soren almost smiled.

"And ham."

"Anything to drink?" the girl asked.

"Orange soda," Ike said.

"Flat water." Soren only drank soda on certain occasions, and tonight he didn't particularly feel like anything sweet or bubbly. The waitress left, and Ike reached across the table to pat Soren's hand.

"I'd say something comforting, but-"

"It's fine. Actually, I'd prefer you didn't." Soren sighed. "No, just...being here is enough. Away from people." _Except for you._ His anger was slowly fading, Ike always seemed to have that effect on him. "Thank you, Ike."

"Food always helps me feel better when I'm upset," Ike said. "I know you're not as big on food as I am, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try."

The food and drinks arrived, and they ate in relative silence. For once, Ike ate slowly and didn't put away as much as he usually did. Soren divided his attention between watching Ike and trying to let the nourishment comfort him. It _was_ pretty tasty, as far as processed cheese and tomato sauce on a doughy crust could be. He had two slices; it would have only been one if Ike hadn't insisted he eat more. Ike had three, and they decided to bring the last one home for Boyd and Rolf to fight over the next day when they stopped by.

"Are you feeling any better?" Ike asked when they were half a block away from the house.

"I'd be lying if I said I'd suddenly forgotten about today. Or that food is much of a comfort to me," Soren said. "But...it did help. A little. At least my stomach is no longer gnawing at me from the inside." Again, he almost smiled. "I...appreciate the effort. That's what matters, that you came to find me and..._tried_ to make me feel better. Without being stupid about it."

Once again, Ike's arm wrapped around him and pulled him close. The sound of crickets, the sun setting on the horizon, Ike's closeness...Soren felt a bit of warmth rising in his chest. He wondered if it was heartburn from the pizza, but heartburn was painful. This was anything _but._

"You don't need to thank me." Their eyes met, Soren's cheeks grew warm and for the briefest moment he expected..._something_ to happen. He didn't know what. But...

"Well, we should go inside and brave the inquisition," he said, pulling away slightly. "Um, again, thank you."

Years later, Soren would always consider that night their first date. He wouldn't remember any of the other pointless details, only the warmth of Ike's hand, the greasy taste of the pizza and the sun setting on the horizon.


	8. Against the Pain

_We regret to inform you that Officer Greil Svenson has gone missing._ Soren tossed and turned on his cot, bad feelings eating away at him. Just like the night his parents died, he couldn't sleep and he didn't like these feelings.

Years of being shuffled from place to place and being treated worse than scum for who he was had built up layers in him. Stay cold. Never get close. Trusting anyone is useless. It was Ike's family who had taken him in and made him realize there could be exceptions to every rule. The Svensons had treated him like one of their own children; Elena helping him with his homework and bringing him soup when he was ill, Greil renting movies and letting him and Ike order pizza on weekends, Mist kissing his scraped knees and braiding his hair.

And of course, Ike. Always there, always loyal, protecting him from the bullies even when Soren didn't need protection, begging for help with every class except gym and thanking Soren every time he got a good grade. Sharing Ike's bed on cold and stormy nights. Patting Ike's shoulder and reassuring him when his relationships with girls didn't work, not letting on that he was secretly relieved not to have to share Ike with someone outside of the family anymore.

His gaze drifted to the Ike-shaped lump under the covers. He was trembling, and every now and then Soren would hear a choked sound. Without another moment's thought Soren got up and sat down beside his friend, gently laying a hand on his back. Ike looked up, and his red face and dull, lifeless eyes confirmed what he'd suspected.

The sight was a punch to the heart.

Soren eased his way under the blanket and wrapped his arms around his friend's shaking form, patting his messy hair. He felt Ike's fingers clutch at his pajama top, face buried against his shoulder, tears soaking the fabric. Ike never cried, and seeing it made Soren want to cry. Ike was the last person who deserved to have any reason to cry, it wasn't fair. He felt powerless...he wished he could do something, anything to make this not reality. Bring Greil back from wherever he was missing, heal his friend's pain.

Greil was alive, Soren reasoned, he had to be. Because Ike didn't deserve this. The family didn't deserve this and Soren wanted to say it, to _scream_ it. But words were useless, wishing for something didn't make it happen and saying how you felt didn't change a thing.

So he just held Ike, saying nothing and letting him cry. Even when the tears stopped, he didn't let go. Ike snuggled closer, slipping his arms around Soren's back. The bad feelings from earlier melted into a warm sense of accomplishment.

Ike didn't thank him. There was no need.

Tomorrow wouldn't be any easier, and there would likely be more efforts to hold back tears. More bad feelings. More pain. But Soren vowed to stay by Ike's side through all of it, and when Greil finally did come home, to share the joy and relief.


	9. The Mr Thingy Show, or Bad Movie Night

"Oh my _goddesses_ is he _serious_?! What _is_ this crap?!"

Usually, bad movie nights happened when people got drunk and watched bad movies on purpose. This particular bad movie night, however, happened _because_ they were drunk.

"I knooooow!" Ike snorted, swaying a little, grabbing Mia's shoulder to steady himself. "It's all-this music-and the guy does the-and she's all-and everyone's like-"

"The animation is abysmal at best, the sound mixing is atrocious, and to say the plot makes no sense is a compliment as it implies the film has a plot to begin with," Soren said. Even with two glasses of wine under his belt and an obvious sense of lightheadedness, Soren was still the resident nitpicker. Only he was more fun like this because he talked faster and sometimes even _laughed._ "Perhaps the director was intoxicated himself while he was directing this. Or the writers partook of canabis or hashish! Or-"

"Shut _uuuuup_! The princes is talkiiiiiing!" Heather slurred. "Man, aint she hot? I'd do her!"

"Heatherrrr!" Nephenee pouted. "Y'all know how ah feel 'bout that, you...you..."

"Didn't say you weren't invited, kittentits!" For some reason, that made Soren grin.

"Kittentits. I'll have to remember that one."

"Hahahaha! It's funny cause I'm a cat and I'm a dude," Ranulf said. "Cause dudes don't have tits! And kittens don't either, cause they're all little!"

"Betcha touch Lyre's kittentits all the time," Boyd snickered. "Crazy person." Ranulf bopped him on the head with a pillow.

"Shuddup, buttface."

It had all started when Ike found a clip from "The Room" on YouTube. At first they thought it was just some kids acting out a skit in a dorm room with really good special effects and shrugged it off, Ike was always looking at stupid videos anyway. The next day, though, Mia found out it was a real movie. One thing led to another and now here they were, at Mia, Astrid and Marcia's apartment with a case of booze and a collection of movies Astrid's older brother had pawned off on her after cleaning his garage. Including "The Room".

They'd intended to stop after "The Room". Really, they had. But then the bright cover of "Felix the Cat" had caught Marcia's attention and of course they had to watch that one, too.

"Y'know what's-y'know what's funny? On Melmac, Felix is _food_!" Marcia blurted out. "C-cause he's a cat, geddit? They eat cats, like on ALF? Man, whatever happened to that guy? Y'never see 'im in movies anymore and stuff."

"That's cause he's a _puppet_," Ike said. "J-just like...um...that show, with the thing?"

"The Mr. Thingy Show?" Mia offered, and everyone burst out laughing. Even Soren.

"Hehehehe, you said thingy." Zihark swung his arm back...and accidentally knocked over a glass of beer, which spilled down the front of Ilyana's shirt. "Awwww man! Sorry 'bout that, booby-I mean, baby!"

"Heeey, speakin' of thingies-" Heather's hand darted out to grab some boob, but Zihark smacked it away.

"Them's _my_ thingies! Mine! Y-y'keep yer hands on yer own thingies! I mean...Nephenee's own thingies!"

"Shuddup and watch the idiots do stupid things," Ilyana muttered, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "Omnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom..."

"Y'don't actually _say it!_" Mia shrieked. "Yer not a hamster, woman!"

"I think..." Astrid paused for a long sip of beer. "I think that the hair forest is like. The top of the director's head. And all this is taking place in his _mind_." Astrid was an odd case; whereas most people acted crazy while drunk she came off as more like a stoner. Or maybe she was only pretending to be one due to the influence of the alcohol. "Cause he's _stoned,_ get it?" Ranulf snickered.

"Oh yeah! Cause like, Soren said he was on a bunch of crap when he made this movie and then it like, came to life-" he hiccuped. "Um, came to life, then his brain like farted out all the cartoons!"

"This entire film does resemble an overly long Family Guy cutaway," Soren said. "In fact, wouldn't it be just hilarious if they inserted this into an episode? It would generate even more wank than Conway Twitty!" Ike snickered and patted Soren on the head.

"Yer cute when you're drunk. Y'sound all professorlike!"

"Yeah, well..." Soren blushed. "Kittentits."

"Waitaminute, i-is this the one with like. The troll who eats flowers and pees rainbows? Cause I forgot." Ranulf took a sip of beer. "Or is it the one with Tim Curry being all like. Toxic?"

"Let's wait and see! I-I think the troll pees toxic rainbows after Tim Curry eats him!" Boyd said. "Y-y'know what we _should_ be doing, is playin' a drinking game. Cause like, every time some stuff happens everyone drinks!"

"Yeah! Every time kittens have tits, drink a beer! Or when the Mr. Thingy Show comes on!" Mia giggled.

"Naaaah, let's just watch stupid crap happen," Ranulf said.

"Yer right. Cause drinkin' games are for sober people," Boyd said. "Go home, movie, yer drunk!"

"S'too bad Pelleas and Micaiah aint here," Ike muttered. "Drunk Micaiah's funner than sober Micaiah." Soren frowned. Last time Pelleas had any alcohol his judgment had been impaired so badly he'd nearly been robbed blind. It was definitely a good thing that he and Micaiah were having their Big Bang Theory night with Micaiah's friends.

"Just watch the stupid cat, Ike."


	10. Five Times Ike Failed at Cooking

1;

The first time Ike offered to make dinner, Soren was skeptical but nonetheless had faith. He could never _not_ have faith in Ike, and maybe he'd be better at it than anyone thought.

He realized he would have been better off making dinner himself. Ike couldn't measure, he spilled things, forgot to thaw the meat for the stew. What was intended to be a hearty beef stew with a side of cornbread ended up being a burned mess with a side of wet, gritty cornmeal.

"You tried," Soren said as he forced down a bite. "That's the important thing."

2;

Soren came home from the library to find the kitchen filled with smoke and Ike grinning sheepishly.

"I didn't think microwave peas and carrots could catch fire!"

"They can if you set it to _fifty_ minutes instead of _five,_" Soren muttered. "We're lucky this machine is still under warranty. And what happened to the chicken cutlets you said you were making?" Ike pointed to a pan holding two charred lumps.

"Apparently you can't set it on auto-pilot like you can a portable grill." He shrugged. "Oh well. Pizza or Chinese food?"

3;

For something so easy, the macaroni and cheese gave him more trouble than it weas worth. The water boiled over, the noodles overcooked and stuck together, and the cheese sauce packet exploded in his face. Throwing sliced cheese on top didn't do anything either, and when he served the messy concoction to himself and Soren, it was a miracle either of them could choke down a bite.

"Luckily, I had the presence of mind to prepare alternatives," Soren said as he unveiled two baked potatoes and a big salad. Ike loaded his potato with cheese, sour cream and bacon bits, and nothing more was said about the failed macaroni.

4;

Heating up frozen food should have been easier, Ike thought. But he was numberblind and the print was so small that he mistook 450 degrees for 250 somehow, and the sailsbury steak was frozen halfway through. Sticking it back in the oven only burned the outside and rendered the dish completely inedidle and the vegetables burned.

"The oven's a piece of junk anyway, I should've put it in the microwave," he said with a shrug. Soren just sighed, wondering when would be a good time to gently suggest to Ike that he should give up and let _him_ take care of the meals from now on.

5;

Luckily, there's one thing Ike _is_ good at, and one thing Soren happens to like. The cooking shows make sandwiches look a lot more complicated than they are, but nothing could be simpler. Of course, Ike's idea of a sandwich is different than Soren's but it's still the same basic thing: some kind of filling between some kind of bread, be it five kinds of meat and cheese and pickles slathered with mustard or lettuce, tomatoes and cheese with a layer of dressing.

And, Soren thinks with a smile, they're working together, chatting as they prepare their meal. It's basic, it requires so little effort, but nothing could be better.

Sandwich Night may become his favorite night yet.


	11. Hangovers Aren't A Good Idea On Workdays

Any, Any, Your exhaustion is probably due to your rampant sexual urges and the fact that you live the same life as a raccoon.

TFLN is stupid amounts of fun.

* * *

"Fuuuuck, why'm I so damn tired?" were the first words out of Shinon's mouth as soon as the sun rose. Gatrie rolled his eyes. He was no stranger to sleeping late after a night out, but graduate school was a demanding mistress. So his late nights were cut down to weekends and any time the professor took a day off for a conference or something.

Shinon, on the other hand, would spend every night drinking and causing mayhem if it weren't for Greil, Gatrie and Titania keeping an eye on him. And even then he still managed to show up for work looking and feeling like crap once in a while. Not a good idea when you worked in construction.

"C'mon, Shinon, get up, have some coffee, hop on the treadmill." He lifted one of his friend's muscled arms over his shoulder and pulled him off the bed. Shinon grumbled a string of curses but didn't struggle, let Gatrie start the shower and kicked him out so he could get naked in privacy. Ten minutes later he'd graduated to half-awake and put some clothes on.

"What the hell did I drink last night?" he muttered.

"The usual." Gatrie boiled water for two cups of instant coffee and handed one to Shinon. "But you were covered with lipstick when we left the bar, so my guess is you got laid. A lot."

"Oh yeah." Shinon sipped his coffee. "Sorry you didn't get any again." Gatrie shrugged. A problem for him once, but he'd taken a shine to nineteen-year-old Astrid Damiel. And if he wanted to win her heart someday it was probably a good idea to cut down on the women.

"No big deal." He stirred some sugar into his own mug. "What's weird is ever since I stopped looking for it you're getting twice as much."

"Probably cause chicks like me better when you aint around to be a jackass," Shinon snorted. "But that still doesn't answer why the hell I'm so tired."

"Easy," Gatrie said. "Your exhaustion is probably due to your rampant sexual urges and the fact that you live the same life as a raccoon."

"What?! I do not-_owwww_." Shinon winced, holding his head. "I do not," he said more quietly. "Raccoons eat garbage and stuff. I fuck bar chicks."

"But you're out all night," Gatrie reminded him. "Look, I can't tell you what to do but if I don't think Greil's gonna give you many more free passes every time you show up with a hangover."

"Aww, this's only the third time in the last few months," Shinon groaned. "And Greil likes me, he aint gonna fire me or nothin'."

"No, but he might replace you with his son as head foreman," Gatrie said. Shinon bristled.

"He wouldn't dare." Shinon resented the hell out of Ike's college-aged son, and the idea of Ike being better than him was a good way to motivate him. Granted Ike was already popular and strong and an all-around good guy, but that didn't stop Shinon from seeing the kid as his archenemy.

"He might if you keep showing up hung over."

"Fine." Shinon sighed, drinking the rest of his coffee and getting up to make more. "But weekends're still fair game! And I still get more than you or him ever could, got it?"

"Sure, whatever you say." Gatrie left Shinon alone and went to take his own shower.


End file.
